Trump Skips 25th 9/11 Ground Zero Ceremony as Mamdani Faces Backlash
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Sep 8
Trump Skips 25th 9/11 Ground Zero Ceremony as Mamdani Faces Backlash
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Sep 8
Summary
Friday’s 25th-anniversary 9/11 ceremony in Lower Manhattan is set to unfold without Trump, who will speak at the Pentagon instead, while Vice President JD Vance attends in New York alongside Biden and three former presidents.
Republicans and some victims’ relatives have also pressed Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away, citing his past 9/11 statements and associations; a recent poll found 74% of surveyed New York City voters said he should attend.
Mamdani has shifted his public tone since taking office—focusing on first responders, families and memorial events—but critics including Rudy Giuliani and George Pataki say that has not erased earlier concerns.
The dispute has widened into accusations of Islamophobia and selective outrage, with Democrats defending Mamdani while noting Trump has faced little GOP criticism for skipping Ground Zero and for past false or inflammatory 9/11 claims.
The rancor underscores how 9/11 remembrance has become more partisan 25 years later, as more voters were born after the attacks and younger Americans report feeling less personally shaped by them.